Latest news with #DearMedia
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Dear Media's Co-Founder Michael Bosstick Says Acquisition Of Fitness Platform Obé 'Just Made A Ton Of Sense'
Paige Port, Lauryn Bosstick and Michael Bosstick of Dear Media Dear Media—which has billed itself in the podcast market as the largest podcast network for women—is merging deeper into the wellness space with the acquisition of digital fitness platform obé Fitness, also bringing obé co-founder Mark Mullett on as Dear Media's President of Global Entertainment and Business Development. While many of Dear Media's nearly 100 shows focus on wellness content specifically—like Arielle Lorre's aptly titled 'Well' and Dr. Will Cole's 'The Art of Being Well,' for example—the obé acquisition is a deeper dive into the space. Founded in 2018 by former CAA talent agents Mullett and Ashley Mills, obé differentiated itself through its entertainment content, partnering with Hollywood studios to translate movies and television shows into fitness. (It, for example, offered a Sex and the City-themed workout class among its many offerings, which E! News, using a word known to fans of the hit HBO show, reported was 'absof—kinglutely not your ordinary workout.') It will now live as a standalone platform within Dear Media, the company said in a release. Like obé, Dear Media was also founded in 2018, it by Michael Bosstick and Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, who are not only co-founders but also married and also co-hosts of 'The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast,' one of Dear Media's most popular shows. The show's title stems off of The Skinny Confidential, now a self-care product brand operating within Dear Media that originally began as a blog started by Lauryn back in 2011. The couple's 'Him & Her' show began in 2016—two years before Dear Media's launch. Michael Bosstick 'You have to imagine, at that period of time, there was very little female representation,' Michael tells me on Zoom, explaining that the space was filled with 'the Gary Vaynerchuks, the Joe Rogans, the Rich Rolls, the Tim Ferrisses, 'Serial,' NPR, 'How I Built This.''' 'It was a lot of the OG podcasts that we respect and admire, but there was very little female representation,' he says. 'We had met a bunch of other female hosts and realized that they were really struggling to find their footing in the market. They were struggling to monetize, they were struggling to rank on the charts. And for Lauryn and I, at the time looking at it, it didn't make a lot of sense.' Their mission, he says, was to even out the charts: 'Let's give these women their fair shot at earning the same kind of incomes that some of the men were earning,' Michael says of Dear Media's impetus. 'Let's give the female advertisers an audience and the ability to be represented in the space. I think over time we've really done a good job as a company to even out those charts now where this conversation is maybe becoming not as much of an issue as it was then. And I feel really proud of Dear Media for doing that.' Now based in Austin, Texas, Dear Media's revenue falls between $51 million and $100 million, 'moving closer towards the latter than the former,' Michael tells me. 'We're doing well.' The obé acquisition—announced June 23, though the specific financial terms of the deal were not disclosed—seems evidence of that. Mullett tells me that he will continue to oversee obé's 'continued evolution' but will also take on a larger role within Dear Media to 'amplify and expand how we show up as a leading media and entertainment company of the future.' Mark Mullett 'The goal of the acquisition is to build upon how Dear Media can best serve our growing audience in and beyond our show expectations,' he says. 'We'll continue to expand our owned and operated channels to drive deeper engagement, while growing our slate of talent and IP through the creation and acquisition of new programming.' As has long been Dear Media's approach, Mullett says that he is looking to 'create more brand extensions across commerce, longform content, events and publishing, always with an eye toward our 360 approach of engaging a host's audience across every platform while their content can be consumed.' The acquisition, he adds, 'also provides Dear Media with obé's tech infrastructure and world-class tech team to create even more opportunities for the shows and audiences to engage with.' The aforementioned 360 approach refers to Dear Media's goal of helping its hosts monetize through various channels beyond just advertising dollars; take, for example, Lauryn, who not only hosts a show as part of the Dear Media network but also still runs her The Skinny Confidential blog and has now expanded into products ranging from ice rollers to mouth tape to, intriguingly, toilet paper. E-commerce, publishing, events and longform content are also encouraged by Dear Media as avenues of growth for its creators, with their respective podcasts as their springboards and launchpads. The Dear Media 360 model ranges from show conception to audio and video production, distribution, marketing, social, monetization and more, seeking to not just host podcasts, but incubate brands. Lauryn Evarts Bosstick speaks onstage during the SIMPLY Los Angeles Fashion + Beauty Conference ... More Powered By NYLON at The Grove on July 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Simply) Shows can either begin with a host and become a brand, or can begin with a brand that becomes a host; shows can also be built from the ground up or acquired and scaled. 'The blog and podcast created the foundation to launch The Skinny Confidential clean beauty and wellness brand,' Lauryn tells me. 'I focused on growing a community and building an engaged audience, constantly interacting over DM and email to crowdsource their opinion on everything from colors to texture to packaging. The audience felt like co-creators—by the time the products were launched, they were deeply invested in every step of the process.' 'The Skinny Confidential became the model for Dear Media's 360 approach,' she continues. 'Once you have the show, it's about figuring out ways to expand the creator's brand—whether through product lines, events, publishing or any other extension. The first step is to give the audience consistent value through content. The next step is to double down on what they're asking for, then the last step is to launch the brand extension to engage them further.' Amanda Hirsch, host of "Not Skinny But Not Fat" Shows under the Dear Media umbrella include genres like fashion, beauty, health and wellness, pop culture, entrepreneurship, lifestyle and parenting. According to the company, after being acquired by Dear Media, a show sees between 25 to 50 percent growth, both in audience and revenue, and shows include the beauty podcast 'Breaking Beauty'; the beauty and wellness podcast 'Life with Marianna' (hosted by Summer Fridays co-founder Marianna Hewitt); the parenting podcast 'Raising Good Humans,' hosted by Dr. Aliza Pressman; the pop culture podcast 'Not Skinny But Not Fat,' hosted by Amanda Hirsch; and other shows ranging from 'Dear Gabby' (hosted by author and spiritual teacher Gabrielle Bernstein) to Kristin Cavallari's 'Let's Be Honest,' sisters Erin Foster and Sara Foster's 'The World's First Podcast,' Whitney Port's 'With Whit' and Khloé Kardashian's 'Khloé in Wonderland.' Dear Media's leadership—its co-founders Michael and Lauryn and its president Paige Port—actually host podcasts themselves, which helps them relate better to the talent. (In addition to the Bossticks' 'Him & Her,' Port hosts 'DITL,' short for 'Day in the Life.') As Michael tells me, Dear Media 'was built by talent for talent.' Khloé Kardashian interviewing Kris Jenner for "Khloé in Wonderland" Port has been with the Bossticks building Dear Media from the ground up. 'Sitting in both seats and really understanding the need on both sides of 'How do we build a media company, but how do we also support talent?' was something that resonated with me early on,' she tells me over Zoom. 'And I think that because of that sort of superpower, we've been able to be a first mover. Because we are so connected to every single part and process of the business, I feel like we're able to sort of innovate on a daily basis to push our business forward—I don't think most media executives are in that same sort of situation.' Port says the company's focused vision and disciplined deals have been key factors why their 'bets have paid off': 'Because of that, there is this trust here, but there's also that if you are going to build a show within Dear Media and a brand, that we can really service it and add value and grow it,' she says, adding, 'We do know how to grow an audience here.' 'I think that what we have built over the last almost a decade is a brand built around trust and integrity and knowing that Dear Media will do right by talent and by a show,' Port continues. 'I think that we see partnerships in a really creative way. I think that we have an entire team here that lives and breathes this content and understands our hosts and our talents and the partnerships and how they make sense.' Paige Port To this, Michael adds, 'We actually step in with the right resources and the right capabilities and help them actually grow a brand with longevity. And I think that's something that we're very proud of.' The recent obé acquisition 'just made a ton of sense,' he adds, noting that obé began with a similar mission as Dear Media, primarily speaking to women—obé doing so specifically through fitness. 'The alignment made a ton of sense, and it gives us now the credibility to service this audience and our creators in a different way, and maybe stand up our own premium channels that haven't existed,' Michael says. Even as Dear Media grows through the acquisition of obé, the company hasn't deviated from its original ethos of amplifying female voices, he says. 'We still have a huge focus on female voices,' Michael tells me. 'We always will. That's just the lane we've chosen, but the business is mature enough now where I feel like we've almost accomplished a lot of what we initially set out to do, and now it's just the norm [with both] men and women in this space.' Lauryn Bosstick, Paige Port, and Michael Bosstick 'I think a lot of companies, they say they're going to do something but they don't actually do it,' Michael adds of what sets Dear Media apart. 'We've actually put our money where our mouth is, and we've produced a wide genre of content across so many different categories and topics. I really think when I see what the company has put forward and the people we've represented—I feel really good about it.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Obè Acquired By Dear Media
Obè, a fitness platform for women, was acquired by Dear Media, a podcast network for women. Obè Fitness Co-Founder Mark Mullett and Dear Media Founder and CEO Michael Bosstick speak with Vonnie Quinn and Scarlet Fu about the deal and what's to come.
Entrepreneur
09-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Lauryn Bosstick's Multi-Million-Dollar Playbook: Build an Audience First, Then Create Products Just for Them
Lauryn Bosstick, founder of The Skinny Confidential, says more founders should reverse the typical business playbook. Most entrepreneurs build a product, then find an audience. But what if you could do it in reverse — build an audience first, and then create a product to serve them? That's what Lauryn Bosstick advocates to new founders. She's run this playbook to great success: She first built a fanbase of millions through blogging (The Skinny Confidential) and podcasting (The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show), then spun out a top-tier podcast network (Dear Media) and a thriving beauty brand (also called The Skinny Confidential). "My audience is invested in the development of the product," Bosstick tells me on the Entrepreneur podcast Problem Solvers. "So by the time that it's launched, they feel like they've been a part of every step of the way." People often misunderstand this strategy, she says: It's not about just being an "influencer" who spins off products. It's about mitigating your risk. When you launch a product without an audience, you have no idea who (if anyone) truly wants what you have. But when you develop your audience first, you can learn exactly what they want — and then serve them. " I really focused on the audience and the community for, gosh, like eight years," she says. "And then I launched products." Want to try it? Listen to our conversation, or read her step-by-step playbook below. 1. Find Your Point of View Founders are often afraid to say what they think. They want their products do the talking. Bosstick understands that — to a point. "A point of view can get you in big trouble," she says. "But I think the pendulum is swinging. If you don't have a point of view, you're going to get eaten alive." Why? Two reasons. First, the world is full of noise, and only strong points of view break through. Also, consumers today are looking for brands they identify with, not just brands that make good products. Everyone has a point of view, Bosstick says, but not everyone knows how to articulate it in a consumer-focused way. If you're struggling, go back to basics — and find the root of what you're passionate about. "Ask your parents, and think about what you really liked when you were little," she says. "What are the things you were gravitating towards, whether or not they made you money? Ask your childhood friends: What do they remember about you?" She also recommends reading Donald Miller's book Building a StoryBrand, which explains how to take complex ideas and make them simple and resonant. 2. Pick your medium Once you know what you want to say, you need to figure out how to say it. Bosstick emphasizes being "incredibly self-aware of what medium works for you." For her, the medium was clear: "I was born to talk on a mic. I came out with a mic in my hand," she jokes. That led naturally to podcasting. (Her show has been downloaded more than 500 million times.) But maybe you're better behind the scenes. Bosstick points to successful creators on Substack who are "creating huge community" through writing. "If I'm that girl on Substack, I already have a book planned two years down the road," she says. "From the book, I already have a podcast planned. From the podcast, I already have a brand planned." The key is matching your natural strengths to the right platform, then thinking several moves ahead. Don't get overwhelmed, she says: You don't need to be on every platform. " If you can delete something off your plate that you really don't need, delete it," she says. "I mean, I can't keep up with my inbox on LinkedIn. That's not realistic. Choose the one that's going to be the most impactful. For me, that's Instagram." 3. Gather insights that convert Once you have an audience, start listening closely to them. "I crowdsourced my audience — not for money, but for their opinion," she explains. For nine years, she watched her analytics, answered hundreds of DMs daily, and responded to tweets. She was "in the field" with her community, understanding their pain points and desires in real time. This helped her understand, for example, the kind of beauty challenges her audience was frustrated with — and the specific pain points they have with existing products. That's why she ultimately launched a beauty brand, and then focused on specific products inside the category. The Skinny Confidential ice roller is a good example, she says. Her audience spent years complaining about existing ice rollers on the market. All she needed to do was listen. "I found a problem, I disrupted it. I made it better. I made it more beautiful," she says. "When they got it in the mail, it exceeded their expectations." 4. Provide value before you sell Bosstick follows what she calls the "give, give, ask" model: Give your audience tons of value through content. Give more value by focusing on each community member. Ask them to buy your product. For that to work, however, you need to spend a long time engaging with and being valuable to your audience. Get to know them personally and become their champion — not just a salesperson. It's human nature: People want to feel seen, heard, and valued. When you give them that through consistent, valuable content, they'll reward you with their attention, their trust, and eventually, their money. "It's slow, it's meticulous, it's really watering the community," she says. "From there, you can have the sale and the product later down the road."
Los Angeles Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
She delivered Hailey Bieber's baby and saved Olivia Munn's life. Her new calling? Podcast host
Stepping into Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi's Beverly Hills space, you may forget for a second you're in a gynecologist's office. A massive glass chandelier dangles from the ceiling. Ceramic sculptures dot the sleek surfaces. Nearby sits a potted olive tree and a lighted antique silver Illuminazione candle. Crystal butterflies sit in two ornate cabinets. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows show a 360-degree view of the Hollywood Hills. And then, there's the physician herself. Clad in a bright blue dress she's held onto since a guest appearance on 'The Doctors' 10 years ago, she acknowledges she personally opts for neutrals in real life (and her signature pink scrubs when seeing her patients), but that she'd been advised to wear jewel tones for 'on camera' moments. In a town known for sculpting movie stars, Aliabadi looks like she could be on 'Grey's Anatomy' as she towers in high heels and a sparkly pink and white butterfly necklace as she poses for a Los Angeles Times photographer. Aliabadi has delivered the babies of Rihanna, Khloe Kardashian and Hailey Bieber. She has also diagnosed Olivia Munn with breast cancer, Tiffany Haddish with endometriosis and Florence Pugh with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). All of these celebrities' health journeys are public information because her famous patients have discussed them in detail on her weekly podcast, 'SHE MD,' which she co-hosts with former fashion designer Mary Alice Haney. The show — which was launched by Dear Media, the largest women's podcast network, in March of last year — aims to educate women about common overlooked medical conditions. It regularly features interviews with Aliabadi's famous patients and other celebrity doctors or authors who discuss everything from preeclampsia to egg-freezing. 'My dad was like, 'I did some research and the best person in the business is this doctor named Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi,'' Sofia Richie Grainge, daughter of Lionel Richie, explains on a recent episode of the podcast. She started seeing Aliabadi at 15. 'They are the most privileged women in this world — especially when it comes to access to medical care,' Aliabadi says of the podcast's famous guests. 'These are women who have good insurance. They can afford going to any doctor on this planet and yet their symptoms are [still] dismissed. They're speaking from their heart because they want to help another woman.' Aliabadi's high-profile clients and podcast have elevated her status on social media. Called Dr. A by patients and fans, she boasts 441,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares clips of her celebrity interviews. She regularly appears on network television to discuss women's health. She has even made the occasional cameo on 'The Kardashians' as Khloe Kardashian's ob-gyn. She's run with the role, both with the professed hopes of educating women on their health, but also with business prospects. Haney urged Aliabadi to co-create SHE MD to combat misinformation surrounding women's health issues. 'We are providing a resource that is backed by science and medicine,' says Haney. 'People are getting their medical information on TikTok. That's dangerous.' With women's health entering the spotlight as an overlooked area of medicine and as fewer people have access to healthcare, becoming one's own medical advocate has never been more important — and confusing. It's led to the rise of wellness influencers with questionable qualifications, which is why Aliabadi says she committed to doing the podcast. 'If you want to talk about endometriosis, how many endometriosis surgeries have you done?' Aliabadi says. 'How many thousands of patients have you treated?' Aliabadi is connecting with consumers on many platforms with 'SHE MD,' which is filmed like a glossy talk show from a Brentwood office. They can listen to her and Haney's hourlong podcast episodes or catch video clips on social media. 'SHE MD,' which stands for 'Strong Healthy Empowered,' features deep dives with health and medical experts — as well as celebrities such as SZA, Shailene Woodley, Tiffany Haddish and Olivia Munn — on a variety of topics including fertility, breast cancer, menopause and endometriosis. Key takeaways and action plans are available following each conversation. Munn's story in particular garnered national attention after Aliabadi diagnosed her with an aggressive breast cancer in April 2023. With a clear mammogram, ultrasound and pap smear, Munn's cancer could've been among the estimated 20% that go undetected, according to the National Cancer Institute. But it was discovered after Aliabadi introduced her to the Tyrer-Cuzick test, which assesses one's lifetime risk of breast cancer. Munn's score was an alarming 37.3%. (Anything above 20% is considered high-risk.) An MRI, further ultrasounds and biopsies revealed she had Stage 1 invasive cancer, and Munn underwent a double mastectomy. 'Without Thaïs being so proactive I don't know when or at what stage I would've found it,' Munn tells The Times. 'She saved my life.' Aliabadi says Munn felt a responsibility to turn her pain into purpose. 'Olivia came to me and said, 'I want to talk about this issue,'' she recalls. 'She knew that sharing her story will save millions of lives.' Munn felt compelled to speak out while still coming to terms with her diagnosis. 'I was looking back on photos of playing with my then 1-year-old son, and I realized that at that time I had just had a clear mammogram and ultrasound — yet I had breast cancer and didn't know it,' she says. 'I asked myself, 'How many other women [are] also walking around unaware they had breast cancer?' I knew then that I had to talk about it. This little known, lifetime risk score test is free, online and saved my life. Every woman can and should know their score. Thaïs told me this test had been around for years, and it was her lifelong mission to get every woman in the world to know about it. It has since become my mission too.' Long before becoming ob-gyn to the stars, Aliabadi recalls waking to the sounds of sirens and bombs while growing up in Tehran during the Iranian revolution in 1979. 'We would all run down to the shelter that we had created underground,' she says. 'Imagine a 12-year-old doing that five times a night.' Her family was granted a green card when she was 17. 'It felt like the gates of heaven were opening for me,' she recalls thinking after landing in Los Altos. 'We were like, 'Why would we ever go anywhere else?'' After medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine and completing her residency at USC Medical Center, Aliabadi, 54, opened her private practice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in 2002. She credits word of mouth, and her office manager of nearly 25 years, Kimmy Ferdowski, with helping her build the practice she has today. 'When I first started, there was a gynecologist across the hall who told me something I'll never forget,' Aliabadi recalls. 'He said, 'Every happy patient who leaves your office will refer four other patients to you.'' That mantra and her detailed approach are the secret to her success, she says. 'I look at my patient as a whole,' says Aliabadi, whose appointments run between 30 minutes to an hour, leading her to stop taking insurance around seven years ago. 'I don't just look at your uterus, tubes, ovaries, breasts and say, 'You're done.' I talk about depression. This morning, I was scheduling an MRI and MRA of a brain to rule out [a] possible stroke in a patient of mine.' Now, her fees vary by patient, but she offers 'superbills' for potential reimbursement, similar to therapists who don't take insurance. Women with 'complicated cases' typically come to her with health concerns that have gone otherwise undiagnosed elsewhere. Take for example, 'Lopez vs Lopez' actor Mayan Lopez, daughter of comedian George Lopez, whom Aliabadi diagnosed with insulin resistant PCOS in her 20s — even though she'd been describing the same symptoms to other doctors since she was 10. Her symptoms became even more prevalent during college, when she developed excess facial hair and gained 75 pounds in three months without explanation despite eating well and exercising. By 23, her hormone levels were so low she was practically menopausal. Lopez says she felt elated once she had a diagnosis and plan for proper treatment. 'I just remember going into the car and crying from pure relief,' she says. 'For the first time in a decade, I felt hopeful and unafraid of my body.' 'I see every dismissed woman in this town,' Aliabadi says. 'These patients are complicated. You need to sit down and listen [to their symptoms].' Aliabadi has other frustrations with the healthcare system. 'The issue is,' she says as she lets out an exasperated sigh. 'I mean, there are so many issues.' She points out that even the most informed person still needs access to a doctor willing to listen as well as the ability to afford treatment. 'If they're going to charge you $3,800 for a breast MRI, 'Can you afford it?'' she says. 'There are limitations at so many levels.' By not taking insurance, one could argue she too is creating another limit, but she blames insurance companies that don't recognize quality time spent with patients. 'I'm not seeing you in five minutes.' Given the limited time patients often have with their doctors, Aliabadi hopes women will demand more from their care providers if she arms them with the right questions to ask. Despite trying to build an online persona with the help of her celebrity circle, Aliabadi confesses she's not very online or in touch with pop culture. 'Sometimes [Khloe Kardashian] calls me, and I think I'm just talking to her,' says Aliabadi, who delivered her second baby via a surrogate on the show in 2022. 'Then six months later, my daughter's like, 'Mom, they called you [on the show.]'' That's why Haney is the media savvy yin to Aliabadi's medical yang. 'She's a doctor first, and she's a podcast host second,' says Haney. Like other medical professionals and influencers in the wellness world aiming to expand their reach, Aliabadi has her own nutritional supplement, Ovii, which she advertises on her podcast. At $79.99, Ovii is aimed at women with PCOS and includes ingredients such as vitamin D, magnesium and biotin. And like other supplements advertised on podcasts, it hasn't been tested in peer-reviewed clinical studies. In the long term, she's exploring a chatbot, a tool increasingly used by influencers to communicate with fans. Aliabadi believes her chatbot can help expand access to women's health education. 'It'll sound like me. It'll be trained by me. Obviously, it's just for knowledge and education. It cannot treat or prescribe,' she says. Aliabadi welcomes technological advances to shake up the medical field. 'I look forward to robotic doctors,' she says. 'The robot will not dismiss a woman who said, 'I've gained 40 pounds in two years, and I'm doing exactly what my skinny sister is doing. Something's wrong.'' Aliabadi has four daughters, who are 20, 19, 13 and 4 (she recently adopted the youngest). Her oldest daughters attend Stanford University and she sees them following in her footsteps. She advises them to become doctors or develop technology to help women around the world. 'I think that is more powerful,' she says.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Is Dear Media's Podcast Network the ‘Manosphere' for Women?
Men dominate the top of the podcasting charts. As listeners, they slightly outnumber women, too. 'Brocasters' and the 'manosphere' have even become a media obsession, and for good reason. During the election, conservatives successfully tapped into a world of dude-driven content to reach disengaged voters. But there has been a surge of podcasts made by women, for women, too. And a company called Dear Media is at the center of much of it. Based in Austin, Texas, Dear Media operates the largest network of podcasts for women. Its nearly 100 shows are as freewheeling and chummy as those in the 'manosphere,' similarly hosted by comedians and content creators. Except here, Joe Rogan's alpha masculinity and Logan Paul's unabashed idiocy are swapped for girlboss confidence and therapy speak. Gone, too, is the overt conservatism that now blankets the manosphere — but not all of its ideas. Dear Media emphasizes health and wellness in its programming, at times dipping into the same kind of contrarian thinking that powers Make America Healthy Again, the agenda of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
